Limit of $6x\sin(\frac{4}{x})$ as $x$ approaches infinity. I know its $24$ thanks to wolfram alpha. I don't know how to get there. Just need to understand how this is done so I am not lost in the future.
-
Wolfram alpha suggests series expansion. – callculus42 Apr 10 '16 at 03:05
4 Answers
Make a change of variable: ($n = 1/x$) $$\lim_{x\to \infty}6x\sin \frac 4x=\lim_{n\to 0}\frac{6\sin 4n}{n}$$ $$=\lim_{n\to 0}\frac{24\sin 4n}{4n}$$ $$=\lim_{n\to 0}24\left(\frac{\sin 4n}{4n}\right)$$ $$=24$$
- 138
- 3,670
I thought it might be instructive to present a way forward that relies on elementary tools only. To that end, recall from geometry that the sine function satisfies the inequalities
$$x\cos(x)\le \sin(x)\le x$$
for $0\le x\le \pi/2$.
Then, we have
$$24\cos\left(\frac{4}{x}\right)\le 6x\sin\left(\frac{4}{x}\right)\le 24$$
for $x\ge 8/\pi$, whence upon applying the squeeze theorem yields the limit
$$\lim_{x\to \infty}6x\sin\left(\frac{4}{x}\right)=24$$
- 179,405
$$\lim_{x\to\infty} 6x\sin\left(\frac{4}{x}\right) = \lim_{x\to\infty} 6x\left(\frac{4}{x}+O\left(x^{-3}\right)\right) = \lim_{x\to\infty} 24+O(x^{-2}) = 24$$
- 25,303
I would try to use a famous limit ($\frac{\sin u}{u}$ where as $u$ tends to $0$ the limit tends to $1$)
$$6x\sin\left (\frac{4}{x} \right )=6\frac{1}{\frac{1}{x}}\sin\left (\frac{4}{x} \right ) =24\frac{1}{\frac{4}{x}}\sin\left (\frac{4}{x} \right ) =24\frac{\sin\left (\frac{4}{x} \right )}{\frac{4}{x}}$$
Can you take it from there?
- 18,518